In recent years there has been increased interest in direct reduction processes for the preparation of iron in a form in which it can be used in more advanced metallurgical processes, namely, the production of steel. In the direct reduction of iron ores, i.e. iron oxide, it is common to utilize a mixture of about 75% hydrogen and 25% carbon monoxide as the reducing gas. The gaseous mixture is generally obtained by reacting natural gas, which preferably has been desulfurized, with water vapor in a cracking process.
However, natural gas is increasingly expensive and desirable for other purposes, limiting the degree to which it can be used in processes such as the reduction of iron oxides. Furthermore, there are many countries in which natural gas is unavailable or is available only at prohibitive cost.